Voice of the Earth and Space Science Community

Yesterday’s discussions with the science team focused on determining which target in the vicinity of ‘Aberlady’ will become the focus of the next drill campaign: target 2, or target 3 (pictured in the Sol 2379 Mission Update). In the end, target 3 was recommended by rover planners for its flatter texture, as an APXS raster of both targets showed there wasn’t a large difference in composition between the two. Once formally included in plan activities, target 3 will be given a proper name consistent with those being used in the ‘Glen Torridon’ region.

Tosol begins with a MAHLI open cover image of the Aberlady sample dump pile (shown above) and then an arm retract to get it out of the way for a Mastcam multispectral observation of the dump pile that follows. Next, a Navcam dust devil survey and suprahorizon movie are included to monitor clouds and dust devils in the current transition from dusty to cloudy season. Then a ChemCam 10×1 vertical LIBS and RMI observation on the Aberlady drill tailings and a Mastcam documentation image wraps up the 1 hour science block.

After sunset, two APXS rasters on two differently toned drill tailing targets are planned to run until the wee hours of the night, when CheMin will take over with its third integration on the Aberlady drill sample, using X-ray diffraction to identify the signals of the minerals present in the sample.

Standard DAN passives and REMS observations were included to continue monitoring the environmental conditions at the current workspace. Tomorrow the goal is to finish up at Aberlady, and bump to target 3 for ‘Drill Sol 0.’